STL Viewer vs Pathly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
STL Viewer
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View STL 3D models and prepare them for 3D printing on your iPhone or iPad. Built for makers, engineers, designers, and 3D printing enthusiasts who need to open, inspect, measure, and export 3D mesh files with precision. KEY FEATURES UNIVERSAL STL SUPPORT ⢠STL (binary and ASCII) ⢠High-poly mesh handling ⢠Fast file opening from Files app, share sheet, or AirDrop ⢠Direct import from Thingiverse, Printables, MakerWorld, and other 3D model sites PRECISION MEASUREMENT TOOLS ⢠Distance measurement between any two points on the mesh ⢠Angle measurement across three vertices ⢠Bounding box with exact X, Y, Z dimensions ⢠Measurement units: mm, cm, inches PROFESSIONAL 3D INSPECTION ⢠Solid and wireframe render modes ⢠Smooth orbit camera with pinch-to-zoom, pan, and rotate gestures ⢠Floor grid overlay for scale reference ⢠Customizable model color ⢠Real-time lit shading with directional and ambient lighting EXPORT & SHARE ⢠Export to OBJ, DAE, and DXF formats ⢠Capture high-resolution screenshots of any view ⢠Share directly to Prusa Slicer, Bambu Studio, Creality Print, and other slicers ⢠Preserve mesh integrity across exports PERFECT FOR ⢠3D printer owners checking models before slicing ⢠Engineers inspecting CAD exports as STL ⢠Designers reviewing client meshes on the go ⢠Makers browsing Thingiverse, Printables, MakerWorld files ⢠Students learning 3D modeling and printing ⢠Anyone who needs to view STL files without a desktop PRECISION VIEWER ⢠Hardware-accelerated 3D rendering ⢠Infinite pinch-to-zoom for detailed inspection ⢠Smooth gesture controls for any model size ⢠Handles models with hundreds of thousands of triangles PRIVACY FIRST ⢠All processing happens entirely on-device ⢠No internet connection required ⢠Your files never leave your device ⢠Works completely offline ā 100% private and secure Download now and inspect your STL files with professional-grade precision. Privacy Policy: https://nagy-legal.vercel.app/stl-viewer/privacy.html
Pathly
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Want to check a sliced 3D print before you send it to the printer? Pathly opens a G-code file on your iPhone and shows the toolpath in 3D, layer by layer, with print time, filament and size at a glance. Tap Open a G-code File and pick a .gcode, .gco or .nc file from Files, or open one straight from another app. Pathly reads it on your iPhone and draws the path. ⢠3D TOOLPATH ā extrusion moves in color, travel moves in grey, over a soft ground plane. Pinch to zoom and drag to rotate. ⢠LAYER SCRUBBER ā slide through the print to see it build up layer by layer, with the current layer number and Z height. ⢠PRINT STATS ā estimated print time, filament used, model size (X Ć Y Ć Z), layer count, extrude and travel moves, total path length and maximum feed rate. ⢠READS REAL SLICER OUTPUT ā G0/G1 moves and G2/G3 arcs, absolute or relative positioning and extrusion, millimeter or inch units, and files up to 80 MB. ⢠SHARE / EXPORT ā send the G-code file on to another app, AirDrop or Files. Honest scope: Pathly is a viewer ā it doesn't slice, edit or send jobs to a printer. The time estimate uses path lengths and feed rates without acceleration, so your slicer's estimate may differ; filament volume assumes 1.75 mm filament. Binary G-code (.bgcode) isn't supported, and CNC or laser files without extrusion show every move as travel. Very dense files are thinned for display; the stats still count every move. Your files are opened on your iPhone only ā nothing is uploaded and no account is needed. Viewing is free and unlimited. The free version shares or exports 3 files; a one-time $4.99 purchase unlocks unlimited exports. No subscription, no ads. Questions: overlapmarr@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pathly at every 2 days against STL Viewer's monthly. STL Viewer's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. STL Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pathly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
STL Viewer ships an update monthly, Pathly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | STL Viewer | Pathly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 days ā better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 ā better | 16.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mohamed Nagy | Jhomar Maravillas |
In-app purchases
STL Viewer
- Lifetime$9.99
Pathly
- Unlock Unlimited$4.99
Questions
Is STL Viewer free?
Is Pathly free?
Do STL Viewer or Pathly have ads?
Which is updated more often, STL Viewer or Pathly?
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